Bronislava Skalická Books

The clue to a murder in the art world of contemporary Madrid lies hidden in a medieval painting of a game of chess. In the 15th-century Flemish painting two noblemen are playing chess. Yet two years before he could sit for the portrait, one of them was murdered. Now, in 20th-century Madrid, Julia, a picture restorer preparing the painting for auction, uncovers an inscription that points to the crime: Quis necavit equitem? Who killed the knight? But as she teams up with a brilliant chess theoretician to retrace the moves, she discovers the deadly game is not yet over.

On the eve of the Revolution of 1868, old-fashioned gentleman and master of fencing, Jaime Astarloa, is above the rumours of political exploit and the Queen's love life. But even he is distracted when mysterious, beautiful young Adela arrives at his door and asks him to take her on as a pupil.